Attachments including a rotatable roller with bristles or agitating members are generally known. They are used either as a so-called electric floor nozzle, in which case they are attached as a separate part to the suction wand of a vacuum cleaner, or as a base unit permanently mounted on an upright vacuum cleaner. To date, there are known two different driving principles for the roller. The first principle is based on a direct drive motor where the rotor is embodied as a sleeve-shaped part of the roller and is slipped over the stator. In this regard, see, for example, WO 2008/128751 A1. This driving principle has the disadvantage that the motor heats up easily because it is disposed in the closed roller. The supplying of cooling air is not only complex, but also has the disadvantage that the cooling air may be laden with dust particles and, consequently, contaminate the motor from inside.
The second principle uses a motor which is disposed remotely from the roller. The motor shaft and the axis of rotation of the roller extend parallel to each other, and the motor rotation is transmitted via a toothed belt to the roller. This principle is described, for example, in EP 203 35 60 A2. The use of a toothed belt has the disadvantage that the required elasticity of the belt deteriorates with age, which may result in tearing of the belt. Moreover, threads and long hairs wrap around the belt and impair its functioning. Another drawback of a belt drive is that it occupies an area on the roller which is then not available for attachment of bristles or agitating members. Ultimately, the belt must be passed through the roller cover, and thus forms an opening through which negative pressure is lost.